Originally Posted by mark100 (Post 1795076)

How much of it was junk main?
I recently spoke with a postal employee at Lady Lake PO. I was complaining about my desire to stop some of the garbage mail I get. She summed it up this way, "That junk mail keeps us in business.

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr (Post 1795219)

It's very simple. You create a contract with Fed EX, UPS and other private carriers that mandate that they deliver to every address in the country.

There is very little that the government does that private industry doesn't do better, less expensively and more efficiently.

There are somethings that need to be handled by government but they are few and far between. Police, fire and military are the basics.

Many of the other programs have been established to give more power to elected officials.

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr (Post 1795219)

It's very simple. You create a contract with Fed EX, UPS and other private carriers that mandate that they deliver to every address in the country.

There is very little that the government does that private industry doesn't do better, less expensively and more efficiently.

There are somethings that need to be handled by government but they are few and far between. Police, fire and military are the basics.

Many of the other programs have been established to give more power to elected officials.

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 1793940)

I would propose that people should have the option to cancel their Post Office account and remove their mailbox, but your father could keep his account. If a letter or junk mail is sent to someone who has cancelled their account, the mail would be returned, and the sender would need to use UPS, FedEx, or another private delivery service. But, the current system requires every person to have a USPS account, and if the IRS, a bank, or a lawyer sends you a letter, the courts will rule that you have received the letter. Also, you cannot stop junk mail from being deposited into you mailbox until it overflows.

Originally Posted by Dahabs (Post 1795281)

Why is it not an option to request no "junk Mail" or unaddressed mail. I gather other countries have that option.

Originally Posted by Dahabs (Post 1795281)

Why is it not an option to request no "junk Mail" or unaddressed mail. I gather other countries have that option.

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 1795328)

It's absurd. If every time you went to a store, other business, or a public place, someone handed you junk advertising, most people would probably just say "no thanks" and hand it back or refuse to take it. But, the Post Office does the same thing every day, and you are required to accept it.

Originally Posted by dewilson58 (Post 1795313)

Because it pays the bills (not all of the bills, but a lot).

Originally Posted by Mken53 (Post 1795404)

How much of that mail is junk mail?

Originally Posted by Schaumburger (Post 1793948)

I will agree that much of my mail also ends up in the recycling container. USPS should charge more to deliver junk mail. As far as paying for health care benefits, is it necessary for the USPS to prepay 75 years in the future...how about USPS prepaying 20 to 30 years in the future as a compromise?

Originally Posted by retiredguy123 (Post 1793940)

I would propose that people should have the option to cancel their Post Office account and remove their mailbox, but your father could keep his account. If a letter or junk mail is sent to someone who has cancelled their account, the mail would be returned, and the sender would need to use UPS, FedEx, or another private delivery service. But, the current system requires every person to have a USPS account, and if the IRS, a bank, or a lawyer sends you a letter, the courts will rule that you have received the letter. Also, you cannot stop junk mail from being deposited into you mailbox until it overflows.

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC (Post 1795446)

We moved here about 4 months ago and at first only got stuff we kind of wanted like bills. All of the junk mail we used to get did not get forwarded so life was great.

Over time the junk mail people found us and today about 75% of our mail gets tossed without opening.

Remarkably how many companies who would send us junk mail in Va somehow found our new address here.

Originally Posted by Stu from NYC (Post 1795370)

The real question is does the post office handle junk mail at a profit or a loss?

Than the rest of us pay for the cost of its disposal and dumped in a landfill.

Originally Posted by Investment Painting Contractors (Post 1795812)

The US Postal Service sells your name. Before everyone says I'm Wrong I have been getting Junk Mail, Hearing Aid Ads Medicare Offers Etc. in my dead aunt and uncles names. 2 years ago I handled their Estate and started getting this CRAP right after I put a change of address card in to the USPS to handle their affairs. They lived over 25 years in Gainesville, never here. Len

Originally Posted by nn0wheremann (Post 1795511)

Anyone can refuse mail. When we were selling our house in Illinois I removed the mailbox. No problems with that. There are some functions of government that are inherently governmental. Fire protection, police protection, regulation of interstate commerce, and postal service are among these. Internet service is privatized, and thirty some years on, it still is either not available or is prohibitively expensive in half of the country. That would have been a good function for the ubiquitous postal service.

Originally Posted by hifred123 (Post 1826785)

Privatization of business or leaving it public (govt) should be considered carefully. NEITHER one is automatically better than the other. Self interests seem always to get in the way of evaluation.

Harvard Business Review
Does Privatization Serve the Public Interest?
by John B. Goodman and Gary W. Loveman
From the November-December 1991 Issue

Originally Posted by Cheapbas (Post 1794174)

I have a small business and the usps is the fastest, cheapest reliable way to get purchases to consumers. To me their services are invaluable.

Comparable ground services by the 2 major Delivery co’s are slow and far more money.

It costs 2.86 to 3.09 to get an item to the buyer, affords some sellers to offer free shipping.

It’s one of the best deals going. Presuming many of you are purchasing online nowadays you can get your items delivered cheaper and preserves your disposable income.

I would prefer they fix it and not eliminate.

Originally Posted by JGVillages (Post 1826795)

Just a thought but possibly because they are the cheapest is the reason they are not profitable. A business that sells for less than their cost won’t be a business long.

Originally Posted by JGVillages (Post 1826795)

Just a thought but possibly because they are the cheapest is the reason they are not profitable. A business that sells for less than their cost won’t be a business long.

Originally Posted by ficoguy (Post 1826807)

out of all that mail maybe 1 percent is meaningful...unless you like lunch and dinner invites for cremation, funerals, annuities as essential.....